


Withdrawal Symptoms

by professional_benaddict



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ageplay, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Alternate Universe - Police, Angst, Cop Tony, Drug Addiction, Drug Dealing, Drug Withdrawal, Fluff, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Interrogation, Little Peter, Littles Are Known, M/M, Medical Procedures, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Sexual Age Play, Paramedic Stephen, Pining, Police Procedural, Recovery, SWAT teams, police raids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:28:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26174239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professional_benaddict/pseuds/professional_benaddict
Summary: Tony is a cop, and to save some money, he has recently started sharing an apartment with the paramedic, Stephen. During a raid, where the cop and paramedic are working side by side, they meet a drugged Little named Peter. Tony would have never thought that he would get so attached to the boy, so who is actually going through withdrawal?
Relationships: Christine Palmer & Stephen Strange, Peter Parker & Stephen Strange, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Quentin Beck/Peter Parker, Tony Stark & Stephen Strange, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 23
Kudos: 220





	1. The Raid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! And welcome to this three part story inspired by this prompt sent in by an anonymous darling on my Tumblr.   
> "Tony is a cop and he’s doing a drug raid, tony watches as druggies get arrested but when he sees one cop go to far with arresting a little! Peter by manhandling him and hitting him he takes matters into his own hands and takes the 19 year old boy in with medic Stephen." 
> 
> Mind the tags!

It’s so odd, the feelings he has right before a raid. There’s electricity in the air, and yet it is peaceful and quiet. It is three in the morning, after all. Tony can hear his blood rush in his ear with each beat of his heart. It resembles how noises sound underwater, muffled and distant. And yet, he is as calm as ever, and breathes quietly as he looks at the office window. That’s their main target. They know that a week before, a large quantity of cocaine was smuggled in and brought to this exact location. A mule had told them, and so that was all the evidence they needed to start planning a raid. 

Every step has been calculated carefully beforehand. No one takes a step without it being planned. The bullet proof vest pinches Tony in his left armpit, but he can’t reach out to adjust it. He tries to roll his shoulder, and it worsens the pinch before it eases off. His eyes never dart away from the dark office window. 

Further down the street, a vehicle approaches. The headlights are turned off, and they are rolling in as quietly as possible, so that the element of surprise is not ruined. If it is, it could mean serious trouble. Suddenly, the danger of it all hits Tony, which it sometimes does when they are all anxiously anticipating the clear to go. His chest feels a bit tighter again, and it’s not due to the bullet proof vest, although it felt a bit small when Tony put it on. Glancing over to see who had arrived, Tony squints his eyes to try and make out who exits the vehicle. All the nerves ease off when Tony recognises Stephen. The two of them have become roommates quite recently. It’s cheaper to share, Tony had insisted. He is definitely not lonely, but he hopes Stephen is. 

Stephen is a paramedic, and an excellent one. Considering their work and how it often clashes when responding to calls, Tony has become familiar with the paramedic long before even meeting him in person. But, on one call Tony had finally decided to introduce himself properly. Stephen had apologised for how sweaty his hand was, and blamed the latex gloves for it and Tony was charmed. Somehow, Tony had brought up that he was looking for someone to share an apartment with, only because it is cheaper, and to his surprise, Stephen had said the same. They have been living together for a month, and already Tony feels more at ease knowing Stephen is present, if things were to go terribly wrong. 

“Stark, eyes on the target!” Fury whispers harshly into Tony’s earpiece, and officer shifts his gaze back to the office window. He does not bother apologising to his superior team leader, since that would just make more noise. 

Then, the action starts. It is like a play. Everyone has their role, and Nick Fury directs the show beautifully. Doors are kicked in, windows are shattered and the different teams enter the building perfectly on cue. The armed SWAT team members go first, and secure the building like terrifying angels. There are no gunshots fired, luckily, but there is plenty of shouting and yelling. Mostly, it is the SWAT team ordering the ones occupying the building to get down and keep their hands behind their heads. 

Then, it’s Tony turns and the rest of the police officers to make the actual arrests when the SWAT team has secured the place. Wouldn’t it be nice if Stephen saw him bringing out a handcuffed drug dealer? Tony half smirks at the idea and snaps the cuffs onto three different drug deals. The scene is surprisingly calm, despite the fact that one of the dealers seems to be crying. Judging by the smell, he also shit himself in pure fear. 

Raised voices and whimpering cries makes Tony turn his attention to the hallway. The cries get louder, and the officer feels his gut twist at the vulnerable tone. Could that be a child? Or a Little? There was no information about there potentially being Littles or children involved in the briefing. 

“Take them outside.” Tony says to the SWAT team member by his side, gesturing to the handcuffed dealers, then makes a few quick strides to get to the hallway. There, he sees another SWAT team member manhandling a Little up against the wall. The boy is clearly a Little with his smaller body combined with a post puberty shape. Even if he is not a child, that is no way to treat a Little. 

“Hey, back off! He’s a Little, can’t you tell?” Tony calls out and shoves the SWAT guy back and away from the boy. With the SWAT guy no longer holding him up against the wall, the boy collapses to the floor with a choked off sob. 

“He was resisting and disobeying orders.” The SWAT guy explains, his eyes hard as he looks at Tony. In the all black and well-protected SWAT gear, the only thing you can see is his blue eyes and pale eyebrows. If Tony wasn’t feeling the contempt between the police force and SWAT team before, he definitely feels it now. 

“He’s a Little.” Tony emphasises. “Of course he is disobeying when you’re towering over him like that.” The police officer points out and the SWAT guy scoffs behind his black mask. 

“And that’s why you could never be one of us.” He accuses, and then walks away. 

Tony wants to be offended, and wants to memorise the SWAT guy as best as he can to later call him out in front of Nick Fury, but another loud sob by his feet distracts him. Crouching down to the Little, Tony gently turns him on his back. Immediately, Tony is drawn to the boy’s honey brown eyes. They look soft, and innocent, and remind him of the sweetness of brown sugar, or caramelised sugar. But, then his attention is drawn to just how wide the boy’s pupils are, and how the vessels in the whites of his eyes are bulging and looking angry red. Cocaine eyes. 

Tapping his earpiece, Tony speaks quickly to Fury. 

“Get Strange in here.” 

“We didn’t hear a gunshot-“

“No, there’s a Little here. He’s taken or been given crack.” 

After Tony says that, it sparks a lot more action and the paramedics are lead inside with some of the SWAT team, considering the drug dealers have not all been escorted out yet. Next to him, Stephen has his work partner, Christine, and they both drop their first aid bags on the floor before crouching down to the floor by the still crying Little. It seems like he is having a bad trip. 

“Hey.” Stephen greets to Tony. The officer smiles back shortly before stepping back to let the paramedics work. “Hi, there, sweetheart. My name is Stephen, and this is my friend Christine. What’s your name?” 

“P-Peter…” 

“Peter? That’s such a pretty name.” Stephen compliments and slips on a pair of powder blue gloves that Christine passes over to him. “Now, Peter, can you tell me what you’ve taken?”

“I… dunno… don’t feel good…” 

“I know, bud, and we’ll help you. But, we need to know what you took, so we can give you the right medicine.” 

“They… said it was- was snow. Was… white and- powdery. Don’t like it when they sti-stick it in…” The boy stutters out bravely. 

“Cocaine.” Stephen says quietly to Christine, who nods and starts readying an IV to insert into the back of the boy’s hand. Then, he turns to Peter again with a smile. “You’re so brave for telling us, thank you. Now, can you tell me how you feel? Are you hurting, sweetie?” 

Stephen’s sweet and caring tone is not enough to better the burning rage Tony feels inside when he thinks of what the boy said. Did they force him to use cocaine? To keep him with them? Just how addicted is he? What role does he have in this sick household? 

All this and more questions rush through Tony’s mind at a hundred miles an hour, or even faster. It takes two repetitions from Fury for Tony to actually hear him, and move onto his next task. He knows the Little while be in safe hands with Stephen and Christine. 

Half an hour later, the show is just about over. Or at least the exciting part of it. The investigation itself will start later in the morning, but for now everyone is pleased with the outcome of the raid. The drug dealers have all been arrested and driven to be kept in custody and the SWAT team is packing up as well. Stood out in the yard of the building, Tony sees Stephen and Christine transporting the Little out of the main door on a gurney. He is not just laying on the gurney, but actually strapped in with straps going over his torso. Peter also has an oxygen mask on his face, and seems to be unconscious. Tony jogs over. 

“What took so long?” 

“He had a seizure, but it was less that two minutes. I think he got a really bad high.” Stephen says where he is pushing the top of the gurney towards the ambulance. 

“Can I come with?” Tony asks, before he thinks better of it. 

“Stark, you’re supposed to be here, right?” Stephen asks, but his tone isn’t rude. Just pointing out what Tony seems oblivious to at the moment. 

“Yeah, right…” The officer sighs, but still keeps walking alongside Stephen. When they reach the ambulance, he helps the two paramedics with loading in their unconscious patient. Once the gurney is secure, Stephen climbs into the back. Christine heads to the driver's seat, and starts the engine. They do not have that much time, so Tony doesn’t hold them back. “I’ll see you at the apartment, I guess.” 

Stephen gives him a smile and nod before closing the double doors. A few seconds later, Christine starts the sirens and they drive away into the night, illuminating the streets in red and blue as they go. Once the ambulance is out of sight, Tony heads to Fury with a request. 

“Sir? I’d like to take the Little’s statement.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! In the next one, Tony will interview Peter at the hospital.   
> I'd love to hear what you guys think of this first part c: I wrote it all in one sitting, which I never do, but inspiration struck me so intensely when I first got this prompt. 
> 
> Also, my Tumblr is professional-benaddict if anyone would like to say hi or send in a prompt ;))


	2. The Interview

The next day, Tony waltzes into the hospital with a latte in his hand. Still riding the high of the raid from the night before, the cop feels at the top of his game. He and the rest of the department have the upper hand. The evidence and statements keep pouring in, and it’s all in their favour, which means not so much in the drug dealers’ favour. It’s their third successful raid in just two months, and yet this feels different. The stakes feel higher, and Tony feels like he should be here taking the Little’s statement. He was the one who found him after all, abused and forcefully drugged at the hands of the drug dealers, and on top of it all he was manhandled by an overly excited SWAT guy. Perhaps the SWAT guy had an aggression problem. He wouldn’t be the first. 

Tony’s intentions feel more pure than that of the SWAT guys, at least to him, and he likes to think that that was why Fury let him come take the Little’s statement out of all the other officers. To be honest, he likes the kid. He’s intrigued, and not just professionally. Tony doesn’t exactly know what it is, but he’s giddy while waiting in line at the reception to find where his informant is. 

“You can just go wait in the car if you want, honey bear.” Tony teases to Rhodey, who’s with him at the hospital. They are partners after all, and they go everywhere together. Well, maybe not everywhere since Rhodey actually takes him up on the offer, muttering something about his overly sensitive nose and the antiseptic smell of the hospital being a perfect mix for a headache. Tony waves him off and tells him to get out of there before he gets cranky. 

The receptionist is not able to tell Tony exactly where Peter is, but directs him to the neurological wing where they can show him where the Little is. So, Tony heads up and tosses his empty latte cup on his way there. After some more waiting and flashing of his badge, Tony is escorted by a nurse to see Peter. 

“He’s going through withdrawal, and quite badly too. Don’t stress him out, okay? You can always come back another time.” The nurse informs while they walk through some automatic and lockable doors. 

“How long is he gonna be here?” 

“Till the withdrawal wears off, but the doctor is planning on having him on psych hold when the withdrawal is over. The Little’s handle it the worst, you know? He’s having awful nightmares and suicidal thoughts already. Poor babe…” The nurse adds sadly. 

“Yeah…” Tony agrees quietly and steps a bit to the side to let a transporter pushing an empty bed pass them in the hallway. A bit further down the eggshell coloured hallway, the nurse stops and gestures to a door. 

“I’ll just head in first and see how he is.” The nurse smiles and slips through the door, leaving Tony to wait in the hallway alone. 

The cop resists the urge to look through the window in the door. Just what kind of shape is Peter in? Last time Tony saw him he was unconscious after a seizure. It’s almost unheard of that Littles take drugs, precisely because they can hardly handle it. Their vulnerable bodies cave in at the smallest doses, while a caregiver like Tony could take triple the dose and still get up the next morning. And that is why Littles are never legally punished for drug possession, and instead they are put into treatment to get rehabbed. Some might say that is the same as prison, if you think about the principals of each setting. Limited freedom. And yet there’s a major difference. Tony isn’t here to arrest Peter, only talk to him. 

A few moments later, when Tony is about to give in and peak in through the window, the nurse exists again and invites the cop in. The hospital room is quite sad, actually. There’s signs of attempts to make it Little-friendly, but the poorly drawn and creepy cartoon dinosaur has the opposite effect that what was probably intended. The hospital bed is Little proof though, with side rails going all around the bed to keep the patient safe. And Peter does look safe, but also absolutely terrible. 

The big, brown eyes go wide when he lays his eyes on Tony, and the cop stays back a bit. The nurse comes forward then and guides Peter to lay back again when he tries to get up. The boy’s movements are clumsy and shaky. Tony guesses he is experiencing muscle aches and fatigue. 

“No, no- I don’t- I didn’t…” Peter stutters and looks pleadingly at the nurse. The cop tries to ignore the feeling of being assigned ‘the bad guy’ role, even though he has not said a word yet. He wouldn’t be surprised if the drug dealers brainwashed the boy to never trust cops, or anyone else outside their gag for that matter. Just another manipulation tactic to keep him in check. As if forcefully drugging him isn’t enough. 

“Shhh, honey bee. The police office is just going to speak to you. It’s all right.” The nurse coos. 

“I didn’t wan’ to do it. They forced me, please…”

“I know, sweetheart, I know. That’s what the officer is here to talk to you about. Just tell the truth and everything will work out, okay? You can push the button anytime and Amanda or one of the other nurses will come, okay?” 

And with that the nurse takes her leave, but not before whispering to Tony to take it easy. The officer nods and thanks her, then turns to the boy on the bed. 

He looks absolutely terrible, that much is obvious. It looks like Peter is hollow inside, and that his skin is just a facade made of the thinest paper. If the wind where to blow, it might just take Peter along with it. But, Tony knows he is not all hollow inside. The boy’s eyes are pained, and it looks like he is aching to tell his truth, to get everything that is inside out into the world and to someone who can do something. Something to save him. And Tony wants to do precisely that, and so he sits on the chair next to the bed with a soft smile. 

“Hi.” 

“Hi…” 

“I’m Officer Stark, but you can call me Tony.” The officer starts. “You’re Peter. What’s your full name?” 

“Benjamin Parker. Peter Benjamin Parker.” 

“Benjamin, huh? That’s cute.” 

“Is’ after my uncle.”

“Is he around?” 

“Dead.” The Little deadpans, fiddling with the hospital blanket. 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Tony says sincerely. “Do you have any other family around? Someone we could call?” 

“No- uhm, they all dead. But, Beck took me in.” 

“Quentin Beck? Right.” Tony sighs a bit. Quentin Beck, as in the Beck who is now in custody at the station. They are still putting together the bigger picture and hierarchy of the gang at the station, but it seems like Beck is in the middle there somewhere. And it seems like Peter is very much in the middle of it all too. “Tell me what happened, from the beginning.” 

Peter talks for over half an hour. The boy is so detailed in his descriptions, like he has a photographic memory, that Tony barely has to ask follow up questions, and instead listens as carefully as he can while noting down some key words in his notepad. Sometimes, the boy has to pause to catch his breath or stop himself from crying, but by the end of it the tears finally spill over when Peter starts describing how Beck and the others would drug him against his will. At one point, the boy’s crying is so pained that Tony reaches out to hold his hand. Peter clutches back, like Tony is his anchor in the storm that is his emotional and psychological turmoil. The Little definitely needs to be on psych hold. 

In the middle of Peter’s cry, a nurse knocks on the door and enters with a concerned look. She must have been altered due to Peter’s heart rate picking up due to the crying. 

“Is everything all right here?” The nurse asks, giving Tony a look. The officer feels like she is accusing him of going too hard on the Little. Once again the bad guy. 

“Is- is okay, Amanda…” Peter hiccups and dries his tears bravely. He forces a smile at the nurse when she comes over to check on him. 

“Okay, sweetheart, but I think this is enough for today. You need to rest.” Amanda orders kindly, and once again she gives Tony a look. Getting the implied message, Tony rises from his seat and tucks his notepad, now his very precious notepad, into his jacket. 

“I’ll come back another time, then.” The officer says. 

And Tony does exactly that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! In the next one, Tony will go see Peter again.   
> What do you guys think so far? Peter's story is quite sad, isn't it? ;-;


	3. The Discharging

A week has passed since Tony has seen Peter at the hospital. Although the week has been jam-packed with dozens of new pieces of evidence pouring in from different sources, organising all that and documenting it to build their case at the station has not been enough to take the Little off of Tony’s mind. He is as swamped with work as he could possibly be, and quite possibly will ever be considering the scale of this drug system, and yet the officer finds himself daydreaming constantly. 

How is Peter? What kind of shape is he in? Has the withdrawal finally eased off, or is he still in pain and fatigued? What kind of rehab facility will he be transferred to? The location wouldn’t matter much, since there is no one familiar holding Peter back in once place. Well, except for Beck, but he will not be around for a long time. And without a highly skilled lawyer backing him, Peter has very little to no chance at seeing Beck in prison. 

So, who exactly does Peter have? Could Tony be someone to him? 

“Stark? Hey, Stark!” 

Oh, shit, he’s daydreaming again. 

“Yeah…?” Tony asks, blinking back to reality. He’s stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a luke warm cup of coffee. The passing of time indicated by the cold coffee makes Tony panic for a bit, and he looks at his watch quickly. He still has time, thank God. Although, he really should be at the station already to start off early so that they can meet their deadlines. 

Unlike Tony, Stephen is all ready for work. The paramedic is dressed in his uniform already, although most paramedics, and cops alike, actually get changed into their uniforms at work. Stephen is different, however, and they have been living together long enough now that Tony knows that Stephen hates the fabric softener they use at the hospital to wash their uniforms. So instead, Stephen brings his work clothes home to wash them himself. Perhaps they could make a deal, so that Tony does the grocery shopping for them, while Stephen does all the laundry, including both their uniforms. That would be neat. 

“Heading off?” Tony asks and watches as Stephen comes to grab a banana from the fruit bowl on the counter. The paramedic tucks it into his bag that he has over his shoulder. 

“Yeah. And I was wondering- do you remember that high Little at that raid a few weeks ago?” 

How could Tony forget him? 

“Yeah, yeah. What about him? Is he okay?” 

“Yeah, he’s getting discharged today I heard, so I was able to pull a few strings so Christine and I will be transporting him to the rehab facility outside of town. I’ve heard that they specialise in Littles, so he should be well taken care of there.” 

Discharged, today? And Tony had promised to come see him again, so that means he must make it there today. 

“When are you driving him over?” 

Tony hates lying to Fury. The police chief is as intimidating as they get, and when Fury says jump, the whole station jumps, including Tony. So, when Tony has to lie to his boss about needing to interview Peter again, although the Little had given him a perfect description of everything, he has to physically restrain himself to not cave in and admit to lying. But, Fury is as busy as ever, and hasn’t been home in many days, so when Tony comes to say he is going to the hospital again, the boss merely glances at him before looking at his papers again. 

“Be back before noon.” That is all Fury says before walking away, and so Tony doesn’t bother with calling out his thanks to his boss. Instead, he goes to grab his jacket and keys. 

Finding his informant at the hospital this time is harder than a week ago. At first, Tony thinks that the boy might be in the same hospital room, only to walk into an empty room. A nurse sees him wandering in the hallways, and asks him if he is lost. After showing his badge and asking for a specific Peter, the nurse kindly directs him to the ward for patients about to be discharged. 

This time, Tony does not walk into an empty room. He walks in to see a Little sat on the bed, cross legged and playing with the remote to the TV to find something entertaining to watch. The volume is so loud that at first the boy does not hear Tony entering, and so the poor thing flinches when the officer clears his throat. 

“Oh, hi! I remember you.” The boy says, shutting off the TV, but he keeps the remote in his hand to fiddle with it. 

“Hi. You’re Peter.” Tony states with a smile. 

“And you’re Tony.” 

Peter looks nothing like the hollow facade that he was a week ago. There is a healthy looking pink tint to his skin, and his eyes look bright and white, like they were never blood shut red and with blown pupils in the first place. He is sat upright, and the only leads and tubes connected to him is the heart monitor and IV, another indicator of a much better health situation. The boy looks brighter, and he is starting to resemble what a real and happy Little should look like. There are still signs that hint towards his past, which is quite a recent past. The crooks of his elbows have tiny black spots on them from being forced to use the drugs. The officer notices how Peter subconsciously, of consciously, moves his hands to cover up the scars. 

“You look good.” Tony points out, which is not a lie. Overall, the boy looks good, like he is on the right path finally. The officer hates to think that it had to get this far, however, before Peter’s luck turned for the better. Despite all those grim thoughts, Tony’s smile is still soft and kind as he comes to sit next to the Little on his bed. 

“Hm, I feel much better. The shaking stopped a few days ago, and the pain too. But, I was still super tired. Still am.” Peter explains and smiles tiredly up at Tony. 

“Hmm, I bet. You just went through a rough patch.” 

Peter nods in agreement, and ducks his head down in embarrassment. 

“The doctuh said that I’m gonna get better now, though.” The boy states. “I’m going to this other hospital they said.” 

“Yeah, I heard. Stephen and Christine are bringing you. Remember them? They helped you back in the- well, during the raid.” 

“They are?” Peter asks. There’s a tone of pleasant surprise in his voice, and the boy smiles a little shyly while still keeping his head ducked. “I like ‘em. The guy was cool. And so were you.” 

Tony’s eyes meet Peter’s again when the boy lifts his head. He doesn’t just have a healthy pink tint to his skin, but now his cheeks are a deeper shade of rosy pink. The sight of Peter’s blush makes Tony feel warm inside as well. The realisation that Tony really made a difference in Peter’s life hits him like a train. He had his hopes that he did, although he tried to keep it to a minimum as not to blow up his ego even further, but the blush and the admission that Peter thought he was cool speaks volumes. He really did something for Peter. Tony is someone to Peter. 

Then, there is a knock at the door. Peter averts his gaze from Tony, and looks past him to see who’s entered. 

“Hey, Peter. The paramedics are here for you now. Are you ready?” A nurse asks, coming over with a friendly smile. “Or, shall we wait a bit?” She adds when she notices Tony sat on the bed too. 

“Oh, no, don’t let me hold you back. I just wanted to check on him.” Tony says, and stands up to take a step back, letting the medical staff do their jobs. 

“You made it in time then.” A second voice speaks behind Tony, and the officer turns around to see that Stephen and Christine have arrived as well. The paramedics have brought a gurney with them, with a newly washed and folded blanket on top and the gurney straps laying open and unlocked. 

“He’s all yours.” Tony says, tilting his head towards Peter on the bed. The male paramedic nods and steps forwards towards their patient. 

“Do I have to get on? I can walk.” Peter interjects, before Stephen nor Christine have time to introduce themselves, although they have met Peter before. 

“Yes, sweetheart. It’s hospital policy, you see.” Stephen smiles and pats the gurney encouragingly. 

From his spot in the back of the room, Tony snickers lightly at seeing the pout on Peter’s face when Christine says he must get on the gurney. But, the boy is obedient and lets Stephen organise the tubes and leads, before he is lifted up from the bed and onto the gurney. The boy is so skinny and light that Tony can see that Stephen has no trouble lifting him over. Once on the gurney, Peter watches with wide eyes as the paramedics strap him in and cover him with the blanket, making sure he is cozy and secure. 

“All right. Ready to go?” Stephen asks. 

“Are you coming with Tony?” Peter asks, looking towards the officer innocently and hopefully. 

“I-“ Tony starts. He has to clear his throat to force himself to say the right words, and not the words he wants to say. “I can’t, kiddo, I’m sorry. I gotta get back to the station.” 

“Oh, okay.” Peter nods. The boy is trying to hide his disappointment, but Tony sees it regardless. “Cause you gotta catch the bad guys? And make sure they go to prison?” 

“Yeah, that’s what I do.”

“Okay. You catch the bad guys, and then- I’ll get better.” Peter suggests. “Deal?” 

“Deal.” Tony agrees with a soft smile. 

“Okay. Then we can go.” Peter decides and looks to Stephen and Christine. The paramedics exchange a look, and start bringing their patient out of the room and down the hall. 

Tony follows them out into the hall, and watches them until they turn around the corner and disappear from view. For a moment, the officer is stuck in a trance, unable to move forwards nor backwards. This Little, who he has only known for two short weeks, has shaken him emotionally a lot more than any other person he has met through work. He is not ready to let go, and an image in his mind of Peter’s sweet smile makes his heart ache, like he is going through withdrawal himself. But, the officer has no time to stall, and so he forces himself to the elevator and out of the hospital to his car. 

It is past noon already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! So, Tony will never see Peter again. Who knows if that is for better or worse ;-;   
> I'd love to hear what you guys think! I'm quite happy with this hehe c: 
> 
> Or come yell at me anonymously if that if more your cup of tea ;)) Tumblr: professional-benaddict xx


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